For the sake of love

The world needs more love... there is no doubt about it and Pramila Le Hunte is trying to spread this message across the world. The veteran politician from England has penned the play titled I Am Your Love Story that aims to teach young impressionable minds the value of love and affection.

“We are living in such times that we need the young generation to understand the importance of love. Love has the power that can mould  views and help restore peace. We need it more than ever. The play aims to reach out to 18-year-olds, who are leaving schools and entering universities, across the world,” says Pramila.

I Am Your Love Story is based in Kolkata. Its protagonists, Charles and Wendy — a young couple from England — meet in a fast changing India where the British are moving out of the country.

The playwright and director spent her college days in Kolkata and reflected on that experience to develop her play. “I just wanted to write about the people I knew. There is a lot of sentiments attached to that period in my life. I wanted to write from experience rather than imagination. However, I was thinking very objectively and I wrote it as a story,” she says.

The play taps into many issues like racism, casteism, superstition and religion. “There are a lot of issues that the world is grappling with,” she says. However, it is not only in the contemporary context that her play is relevant. “These issues have existed for several years now. Like caste and love in India have always  been an issue. This play is my way of passing on the responsibility on young shoulders,” she adds.

Pramila witnessed a lot of important events in the history of India that helped her shape many important plays as well. She also worked on Nehru: His Inner Story that portrayed him in a very different manner than he is in the mainstream narratives. “The play I Am Your Love Story is a part of a larger idea. While there are a wide range of issues that have been addressed here, one can’t deny that all these affect us. My target audience might be the younger generation but this play can reach out to everyone,” she concludes.

The play was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and then travelled to India. It will soon be a part of a textbook for school curriculum.